 As I watched the changing precipitation yesterday, the homophone trio REIGN/RAIN/REIN popped into my head. Gather 'round (virtually) while I provide definitions and sentences for each word. REIGN/REIGNING = To rule or hold sovereignty over a kingdom or sporting event. Synonyms: rule/ruling, incumbent, lead/leading, prevail/prevailing #1: Elizabeth II was crowned Queen of England on February 6, 1952 and still reigns today. #2: The reigning Super Bowl Champions are the Kansas City Chiefs, whose 2020 win over the San Francisco 49ers marked their first since Super Bowl IV. RAIN = this type of precipitation falls from the clouds in the form of drops Rain, rain go away! Come again some other day. There are four types of raindrops and four types of rain. Check out sciencing.com for more information! REIN = restrain, bridle, or control, or limit. FREE REIN, which means freedom, is the antonym or opposite. Tug on the reins gently or the horse will spook. Rein in your anger, or you'll fall prey to the dark side like Anakin Skywalker was. ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ The rain has turned to snow, and the latest forecast calls for 6-12 inches in my neck of the woods. Stay warm and safe, everyone! Sincerely, Laura Fineberg Cooper A Spoonful of Grammar
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 At first, NOTHING popped into my mind for this week's spoonful. But then, eureka! I reflected that THING is the least descriptive noun in the English language. I decided to challenge YOU, my readers, to banish THING in any of its forms from the following sentences (and from all your writing). If you dare, please share your creative, descriptive replacement sentences in the comments section! 1.) Eek! It's a THING! 2.) I can't wait to hear about the THING you saw last night. 3.) What a remarkable THING that is. 4.) Please bring SOMETHING, ANYTHING to make this party fun. 5.) Let me describe this animal to you. It's a THING! 6.) John brought chairs, blankets, and THINGS to the beach. Have oodles of fun with this! My next Spoonful of Grammar will be about SOMETHING else, I promise you. Take care, Laura Fineberg Cooper  A Spoonful of Grammar is thrilled to be back! Since we've been APART for nearly two months, it feels appropriate to review the many meanings of APART in this short, sweet return spoonful.
Definition #1: away from or separated by a distance Erin feared living too far apart from her family. Definition #2: at a distance or off to the side Aaron stood 6-feet apart from the kids who were clustered together. Definition #3: shattered An airplane was purposely blown apart in the movie My Spy. Definition #4: (with from) except Everyone complied with the rules, apart from Mr. Mills. Definition #5: (with from) indistinguishable The Thompson twins were extremely hard to tell apart. You may be wondering, "Are APART and A PART interchangeable?" The short answer is NO! A PART is comprised of two words and most commonly refers to part of a whole. Here's a good rule of thumb: if you can use the word PART, you can usually substitute A PART. My parting wish is that you and your families remain happy and safe during this challenging time. Sincerely, Laura Fineberg Cooper  OXYMORONS consist of two contrasting words that when put together, create meaning beyond the literal definitions of each word.
In fact, the word itself is an oxymoron, with oxy meaning sharp and moron meaning foolish! Let's examine five of these opposing pairs, and I'll happily provide my interpretation. CLEARLY CONFUSED: clear = understandable; confused = perplexed This implies obviously confused. DEAFENING SILENCE: deafening = booming; silence = quiet, calm ---This implies uncomfortable silence and recalls the saying, "Silence speaks louder than words." SMALL CROWD: small = little, few; crowd = a whole bunch of people This implies a smaller than expected crowd or a small gathering of people. OPEN SECRET: open = not shut, direct; secret = confidential This implies a secret everyone seems to know, which sadly, is not a secret anymore. RANDOM ORDER: random = arbitrary; order = systematic This implies a random sort, like a lottery. While being picked can lead to riches, THE HUNGER GAMES books and movies illustrate the dystopian dark side of being picked. Think of the myriad of plot possibilities for your creative story! Try to drum up more oxymorons your own. Or if you like, you can find a larger list of oxymorons on Your Dictionary.com. I hope you enjoyed this intriguing Spoonful of Grammar. I wish you all a safe and enjoyable week ahead. Sincerely, Laura Fineberg Cooper  This rhetorical device deserves an award for using every vowel except one. Even though it's so challenging to spell, its meaning is fairly easy to remember: turning sounds into words. Now it's time for a few examples!
I'm sure you get the idea by now. Can you think of more onomatopoeia words yourself? This is a particularly fun exercise for young children. And a helpful little exercise for adult writers too! I wish you all a great, healthy week ahead. I'll be back next Sunday with another Spoonful of Grammar. Sincerely, Laura Fineberg Cooper |
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